DGCA tightens norms for non-scheduled operators

Asserting that safety lapses cannot be simply blamed on pilots, aviation watchdog DGCA on Tuesday announced a raft of strict measures for non-scheduled operators, including intensive audits and a safety ranking mechanism, amid safety concerns raised in the wake of recent aircraft accidents. After a special audit found various lapses, the regulator has also grounded four planes of Non-Scheduled Operator VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, whose aircraft crashed at Baramati, killing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others on January 28. 
A day after a plane, operated by a non-scheduled operator (NSOP), crashed in Jharkhand, killing seven people onboard, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held a meeting with all such operators on Tuesday. It also happened on a day when a Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people crashed into the sea in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and all of them were rescued. The watchdog stressed that accountable managers and senior leadership of NSOPs would be held personally responsible for systemic non-compliances, and stressed that "safety lapses cannot simply be blamed on pilots".
To detect "unauthorised operations or the falsifying of data" by NSOPs, increased random Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) audits, cross-verification of ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) data, fuel records, and technical logs of their aircraft will be carried out. The operators would have to disclose critical safety information on their websites, including aircraft age, maintenance history, and pilot experience. There would also be a safety ranking mechanism of all NSOPs and the criteria for such ranking, safety rankings will be published on the DGCA website for public information, according to a statement.
According to the statement, pilots found violating Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) or attempting to land 'below safety minima' may face licence suspensions of up to five years, while NSOPs failing to meet compliance standards would be penalised and their licences or permits could be suspended. Mentioning that weather-related accidents are often the result of poor judgment rather than unpredictability of weather, DGCA said operators would be mandated to establish real-time weather update systems and strict compliance of established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Additionally, recurrent training for pilots must have greater emphasis on weather awareness strategies and decision-making in uncontrolled environments. "Safety must remain the absolute priority, superseding all commercial considerations, charter commitments or VIP movements. The authority asserted that an organisation's leadership must prioritise safety above all other criteria.